WINTER 2022
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Welcome to Winter! By Diane Kelly Although the jumpers are only just starting to come out; the heaters are still at the back of the cupboard; and the grass is still growing strongly and regularly needs to be mowed, we all know that winter is coming. There are, of course, many quotes about the season. They range from the positive “Winter is not a season, it’s a celebration!” to the bracing comment by Tim Allen “Winter forms our character and brings out our best” through to the perhaps more realistic “My favourite outdoor activity is going back inside.” Traditionally our winters have been beautiful – chilly nights and sunny, clear days – perfect gardening weather! In fact, when we first moved to the Gold Coast in 1975, the saying was “It doesn’t rain on the Coast between April and November”, and this was basically true, apart from a gentle shower of rain in the afternoon as the year turned into September. But, as we have seen over the past couple of months, the weather patterns have changed – and therefore so has our gardening. So how do we view the coming months, so that winter does indeed “bring out the best in us”? The conclusion I’ve come to is that we need to learn as much as we can about the ebbs and flows of gardening – basically, what follows what, and what we need to do next – and then we slot that into whatever conditions we find ourselves in. So, let’s at least look at what we “used” to grow in Winter – i.e. June, July and August – and see if those activities need to be starting in May, June and July – or months 1, 2 and 3.
GCOG
Month One: There are plenty of vegetables to plant during Month One: Asian cabbages and salad greens; beans, including broad beans; beetroot; Brussel sprouts; capsicum; cauliflower (but get those in sooner rather than later); celery; kale; leeks; lettuce (of course); onions (another “sooner rather than later” category); peas; potatoes; rocket; silver beet; sweet potatoes and tomatoes. Peas are always a favourite, whether they are eaten raw or lightly steamed, or in the case of snow peas, added into stir fries etc. The advantage of snow peas is that they have a longer harvest period than garden peas – and they taste wonderful after being washed and then eaten straight off the vine! Peas generally are annual plants and they can have either white or purple flowers. “Bikini” snow pea vines grow to a metre high and produce sweet, 8cm long pods. Alternatively, “Sugar Snap” peas are available in either dwarf (60cm) and tall (2m) varieties – these produce early-maturing pods over an extended harvesting period. (I’ve noticed the more you harvest, the more pods the plants grows.) “Sugar Bon” is a fully dwarf variety which has a good resistance to powdery mildew. Peas are generally planted in rows – this makes harvesting easier; trellising easier (and don’t forget to put up any trellises prior to planting!); and it provides good air circulation. Seeds should be planted to a depth of 5-7cm, and you should space them at 10cm intervals – with 45-90cms between rows. Remember that dwarf varieties require wider spacing as they produce broader plants, in difference to the tall varieties that form high, more narrow plants. You can plant peas in shallow furrows, but gradual earthing up of the soil will support the stems and ensure that the roots are in a cool soil zone. By the way, you can grow dwarf peas in hanging baskets.
